One of the great, eclectic masters of comic book art is P. Craig Russell.

Since he burst on the scene in the Marvel comics of the 1970s (Killraven), then jumped to projects like Night Music, Michael Moorcock’s Elric, Sandman, Fables and so many others.

He's worked with everyone from Roy Thomas and Don McGregor to Neil Gaiman and Mike Mignola.

And along the way, he’s collected Kirby and Eisner awards and an army of fans.

Now, thanks to Kickstarter, he’s getting ready to launch P. Craig Russell’s Guide to Graphic Storytelling, a “a web series (and companion DVD) consisting of educational videos that teach the art of graphic storytelling, also known as ‘Comics.’”

Here’s the coolness from their Kickstarter pitch:

“Approximately 60 minutes of lesson videos will be put online, free of charge, for students, educators, budding creators and anyone else interested in the visual arts. A companion DVD will be produced that contains all of the online video lessons, as well as additional segments that will be exclusive to the DVD.”

The filmmaker behind all this is Wayne Alan Harold who did a prior Russell doc: Night Music: The Art Of P. Craig Russell.

They’re already closing in fast on their goal, but you can help put them over the top and really seal the deal with a contribution. And if they get more than they need, they’ve promised to add more material to their program.

Here’s a nice interview with Russell from ComicMix, which is where I stole my graphic.

[Artwork: The Dream Hunters by Neil Gaiman and P. Craig Russell]